Sigmund bergmann



(ModeL) s. BERGMANN.

SOCKET FOR INGANDESOENT ELECTRIC LAMPS. No. 298,658. Patented May 13, 1884.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

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SIGMUND BERGMANN, OF NEXV YORK, N. Y.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 298,658, dated May 13, 1884.

Application filed October 9, 1882.

T0 LLZZ 1071/0121 it 72mg concern:

Be it known that I, SIeMUND BERGMANN, of New York city, in the county and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Sockets for Incandes cing Electric Lamps, of which the following is a specification.

The object I have in view is to produce a socket for incandescing electric lamps of simple, cheap, and efficient construction, provided with a circuit-controlling device of unusual strength and simplicity, and with means for connecting such socket with the fixture which supports it, which means shall prevent the turning of the socket on the fixture, which is an ordinary defect with the socket commonly in use; and my invention consists in the novel devices and combinations of devices used by me in accomplishing this object, as hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a View in elevation of a socket embodying my invention 5 Fig. 2, a similar view of said socket with the outer metal casing removed; Fig. 3, a plan view of the interior of the socket; Fig. 4, aplan view showing the circuit-controlling devices; Fig. 5, a View partly in section and partly in elevation of the circuitcontrolling key, and Figs. 6 and 7, bottom views illustrating different ways of attaching the socket to its supporting-fixture.

The socket consists of a cylindrical block, A, of wood or other insulating material, cored longitudinally, attached to the top of which is a screw-threaded metal sleeve, B. A portion of the block A is cut away at O, and the circuitwires 1 2 are brought in through the longitudinal hole and the aperture 0, and attached, respectively, to binding-screws a I). The binding-screw a holds the wire 1 against the metal plate 0. Such plate extends upwardly, and is soldered to the outside of sleeve B at c. Bindingscrew b holds wire 2 against plate (1. Plate (1 extends up, as shown, and terminates in a spring-piece of metal, f, placed in a groove, which is cut around the block A.

Upon the top of block A is set a plate or disk, 72, of insulating material, to the upper side of which is attached contact-plated. Plate 5 is extended down to groove g, terminating in a spring-piece, f, placed in said groove, and having its end a short distance only from (ModeL) the end of spring-piece f. \Vhen the incandescing electric lamp is screwed into its socket, one terminal 011 its base makes contact with sleeve 13, and the other with plate l, circuit being thus completed through the lamp, except at the ends of f f Connection at this point is made and broken by means of a circuit-controlling key adapted to press firmly against both pieces f and f and complete the circuitbetween them. Such circuit-controlling key may be of any suitable construction; but is preferably that hereinafter described. The socket is inclosed by a metal casing, consisting, first, of a sleeve, D, placed over the socket from above and slotted to allow the circuit-controlling key to pass through it. A flanged ring of insulation may be screwed in between the sleeves B and D. The lower part is covered by a cup, E, having a central aperture, and an internally screw-threaded sleeve, F, for screwing on the end of a fixture. The sleeve F is provided with means for securing it to the fixture, so that it cannot become loose and turn thereon and twist or break the conducting-wires. In Fig. 1 such means consist of a small screw, j, which, after the socket is placed on the fixture, is inserted in the'sleeve F and set against the end of the fixture, so as to prevent the turning of the socket. In Fig. 6 the sleeve F is split at several points, is; 7.1, and is provided with a nut, Z, which may be screwed down on the sleeve, so as to tighten it against the end of the fixture. InFig. 7 the sleeve is split at m, and lugs an are formed upon it, through which passes the screw 0 for tightening the sleeve. The circuit-controlling key which I prefer to use is fully illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. In such keysitis desirable to have the portion which is touched by the hand insulated from the portion through which the current passes.

It has heretofore been customary to attach a thumbpiece of insulating material to the metal portion which makes and breaks the circuit. In such construction the device is liable to breakage at the point where the insulating piece is attached to the metal portion. To

remedy this defect I construct the key entirely of metal, with the exception of a short section of insulation, preferably hard rubber, inserted near the end, a. tip of metal being left to make and break the circuit.

G is a metal rod passing through the sleeve D, and nearly but not quite through the block A, Its outer end is formed into a thumbpie'ce, H. The section of insulation 9 (preferably hard rubber) is attached to the end of rod G, the latter being provided with a screwthreaded hole, as shown, to receive a screwthreaded stem from said insulation; and the insulating-section is provided with a screwthreaded hole to receive a screw -threaded stem on the metal tip q. The rod G is surrounded by sleeve 7*, and has a pin, 8, bear- .ing against the end of said sleeve, which has a spiral-cam shape, as shown, and it is provided with a spiral retracting-spring, t, whereby when the rod is turned by means of the projecting thumb-piece H it is thrown forward by the spiral cam at the end of the sleeve, and the metal tip q is pressed firmly against the spring-pieces f f, completing circuit between them and through the lamp. The circuit is broken by turning the rod the other way, and thus withdrawing it from contact with ff.

The peculiar construction of circuit-controlling stem with a metal tip and insulation between such tip and the metal body of the stem is applicable to electrical-circuit controllers wherever used or located; and I do not wish to limit myself to the use of such a circuit-controlling stem in alamp-socket, since it may be used in all forms of electrical switches.

That I claim is 1. The combination, in a turning circuitcontrolling key, of a nietal thumbpiece, a metal circuit-controlling tip, and a section of insulating material interposed between said metal portions, the parts having engaging screw-threaded portions, by which they are secured together, substantially as set forth.

2. In a circuit-controller, the combination, with contiguous metal plates forming eircuitterminals, of a turning circuit-controlling key having a metal tip which bridges the space between said plates to complete the circuit, said key also having a metal thumb-piece insulated from said tip, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in a circuit-controller, of contiguous metal plates forming circuit-terminals, a turning circuit-controlling key having a metal tip for bridging the space between the plates, and a metal thumb-piece insulated from said tip, a cam for forcing said key forward to close circuit, and a spring for retracting the key to break circuit, substantially as set forth.

4. In an incandescingelectric-lamp socket, the combination, with the insulating-block A, and circuit-terminals carried thereby, to which run the circuit-wires, of an inclosing metal casing, D E, and the internally-screw-threaded sleeve F, attached to the part B, and provided with the setscrew 7', or equivalent device, substantially as set forth. I

5. In an incandescing-electric-lamp socket, the. combination, with the cylindrical block of insulation, of the metal plates attached thereto and continued upward, one to the screw-- threaded sleeve, which receives one terminal of the lamp, the other through a circuit-controller to a plate, which makes contact with the other lamp-terminal, substantially as set forth.

SIGMUND BERGMANN.

Witnesses:

RIcI-ID. N. DYER, H. WTSEELY. 

